Card-index case.



JF. WP*I TOBEY; y GARD INDEX CASE. 'APPLIOfAVTIONYPILI-IJVJ APR..27,1910i Patented 1369.20, 1910.

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APPLICATION FILED APR.*27, v1910.

Patented Dea-20, 1910.

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ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRED W. TOBEY, 0F GRAN) RAPIDS, IVIICHIGAN.

CARD-INDEX CASE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Dec, 2,()9 1910,

Application filed April 27, 1910. Serial N0. 558,057.

To all .whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRED IIT. Tonny, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and Stateof Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCard-Index Cases, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to the devices commonly known as cardindexes, in which the cards are held in their case by a retailiing rodpassing through suitable orifices in them: and the object of myinvention is to provide a simple and effective lock by which such rodmay be secured in its operative position and may be released therefromwhen desired.

This object is attained by, and my invention is embodied in, themechanism hereinafter described, illustrated by the accompanyingdrawings, in which Figure 1 is a longitudinal central vertical sectionof a card index case or drawer equipped with my device; Fig. 2 is atransverse vertical section of the same on line Z-Z of Fig. 1 (the card22 being removed) Fig. 3 is a like section of Fig. 1 on line X-Xthereof, certain parts being broken away; Fig. t is a front view of thecard index case or drawer; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view of aportion of the parts shown in Fig. 1, and illustrating the mainoperative parts of my device; and Fig. 6 is a. detail plan view of theslidable bar by which my device may be operated.

A slidable retaining rod 1 passes through suitable alined openings inthe front 23 of the card case or drawer 211, the inclined card supports21 and 25, and the cards, one of which 22 is shown in Fig. 1. The rodmay be slid outwardly by drawing its knob 5 (which is also the knob foropening the drawer 2K1), thus releasing the cards and permitting theinsertion of new ones. My present invention locks the rod 1 in itsoperative position to hold the cards in the case, and unlocks the rodtherefrom when desired. Thus my lock has a clamp t having a leverlikemovement in the plane of the rods axis, with a fulcrum 13 on the plate3. This clamp has a bore 14e through which the rod passes, and which isof sufficient size to permitthe fre-e sliding of the rod therethroughwhen the clamp is moved, as by the bar 2 against the pressure of asuitable spring 7, into a position (as illustrated indotted lines at 27in Fig. 5) at or nearly at right angles with the rod; but this boi'e issmall enough to cause its internal wall to engage and bind upon the rodwhen the spring is permitted to exercise its pressure to move the clampinto its more inclined or oblique position relatively to the rod, thuslocking the rod in its operativeposition. This locking is rendered moreeffective by providing an annular groove on the rod 1, having a shoulder15 so placed as to abut against the face of the clamp, as particularlyshown in Fig. 5, thus locking the rod positively. To operate the clampto unlock the rod the bar 2, which abuts against or is loosely connectedwith the clamp, hasa sliding movement parallel with the rod 1, its studs10 traveling in a suitable ,slot in the bottom 26 of the case as shown;

this bar is provided with a. button S extending through the back 26 ofthe case, which button may be pressed to release the clamp. The movablecard support 21l slides on its flanges 16 along the bar 2 and isprovided with a spur 17 adapted to engage in any of the recesses 19 ofthe bar to fasten the support in a desired position, in which it is heldby a spring 9; and by means of the engagement of this spur the bar maybe moved by thesupport 21 to operate the clamp, as well as by pressingthe button 8.

In the drawings, 12 is a nut by which the knob 5 may be fastened to therod 1; 18 indicates a ,reduced portion of the rod inside the knob; 11 isa plate on the front of the drawer case having a bore t0 admit the knobportion of the rod; 6 indicates a strengthening plate on the support 21,having a bore for the rod, etc., and 2O indicates the bore in thissupport through which the rod passes.

Not confining myself to the construction shown and described furtherthan as set forth in the claims, I claim:

1. Iii-sa device of the character described, the combination of aslidable card-retaining rod, and ay lever-arm clamp having a movement inthe plane of the rods axis and adapted in one position to engage andhold the rod from sliding movement and in another position less inclinedrelatively to the rod to release the rod from such engagement.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a slidablecard-retaining rod having a shoulder, and a leverarm clamp having amovement in the plane of the rods axis and adapted in oneposition` toengage the shoulder to hold the rod from sliding movement and in anotherposition less inclined relatively to the rod to release the shoulderfrom such engagement.

3. In a device ot' the character described, the combina-tion of aslidable card-retaining rod, and a spring-pressed lever-arm clamp havinga movement in the plane of the rods axis and adapted in itsspring-pressed position to engage and hold the rod from sliding movementand in another position less inclined relatively to the rod to releasethe rod from such engagement.

l. In a device of the character described, the combination of acard-index case, a cardretaining rod slidable therein, a lever-arm clamphaving a movement in the plane of the rods aXis, a spring adapted topress the clamp into a position to engage and hold the rod from slidingmovement, and a slidable clamp-operating bar extending through the backof the case and engaging With the clamp to move the same against thepressure of the spring and into another position less inclinedrelatively to the rod.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of acard-index case, a cardretaining rod slidable therein, a lever-arm clamphaving a movement in the plane of the rods axis, a spring adapted topress the clamp into a position to engage and hold the rod from slidingmovement, a slidable clamp operating bar engaging with the clamp to movethe same against the pressure of the spring and into another positionless inclined relatively to the bar, and an adjustable card -supporthaving a. spur adapted to engage the bar.

G. In a device of the character described, the combination with acard-index case, of a card-retaining rod slidable therein, a clampadapted to hold said rod from sliding movement, an adjustablecard-support in the case, and means intermediate said support and saidclamp to release the latter by the movement of the former.

In Witness whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

FRED IV. TOBEY.

Witnesses:

HARRY G. JOHNSON, MARY SCHULTE.

